Jimmy’s Rhythm & Blues: The Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin by Michelle Meadows; illus. by Jamiel LawPrimary, Intermediate    Harper/HarperCollins    48 pp.1/24    9780063273474    $19.99In this picture-book biography, Meadows’s expressive free verse beautifully contributes to an engaging narrative about Baldwin’s (1924–1987) literary prowess and staunch activism, making his story accessible to young...

Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem [Blue Stars] by Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith; illus. by Molly Murakami Intermediate, Middle School    Candlewick    176 pp. 3/24    9781536204995    $22.99 Paper ed.  9781536228663    $12.99 e-book ed.  9781536237368    $12.99 In their first graphic novel collaboration, Magoon and Smith introduce readers to cousins Riley...

All That Grows by Jack Wong; illus. by the authorPrimary    Groundwood    32 pp.3/24    9781773068121    $19.99e-book ed.  9781773068138    $16.99Nature walks and gardening result in an introspective child thinking small (and big) thoughts about the natural world in this quiet, poetic account, effectively told in the first person. The narrator’s sister, experienced...